Fifth to george w



(NoyModelu.)

W. 0. GUNGKEL. AIR BRAKE.

No. 601,253. Patente-d Mar. 29, 1898.

,zliiowzey UNITED STATES 'y PATENT OFFICE.

WINFIELD O. GUN OKEL, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FIFTH TO GEORGE W. AFARIS', OF SAME PLACE.

f AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.` 601,253, dated March 29, 1898. Application inea Jun@ 4,1897. sriair. 639,403. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that LWINEIELD O. GUNCKEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Terre I-Iaute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This inventiony relates to brakes such as used on railroad-trains; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts which regulate the admission of'air to the brake-cylinder, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The drawing shows a vertical section through a portion of an air-brake cylinder, its admission-valve, and reservoir. v

A is the air-brake cylinder, Vprovided with a piston a', which is connected tothe brake in any approved manner.-

B is the casing of the admission-valve, which is rigidly connected with the brake-cylinder. v

O is a reservoir for compressed air. This reservoir is preferably secured between the brake-cylinder and the valve-casing, and it is connected tothe lower part of the valvecasing below the valve by a porty'c.

D is the supply-valve. This valve is preferably a piston-valve comprising a valvestem d and three pistons 2, 3, and A4, secured,

on the said stem. The pistons are secured Aon the valve-stem in any approved manner.

An annularspace 5 is formed between the upper piston 2 and the middle piston 3, and an annular space 6 is formed between the `middle piston 3 and the lower piston 4. Each piston slides air-tight in the liner b, which is preferably driven into the casing B, and each piston is provided with some approved packing, such as one or more cup-leathers. The lower end of the valve-stem d normally rests on abuffer B', of soft material, such as leather, which is let into the cover b', which closes the bottom end'of the valve-casing B.

The valve-casing B is provided with a longitudinal air-passage 7 in its, side wall behind the liner b, and E is a pipe or passage which connects the air-passage 7 with the brake-cylinder. The passage E is preferably formed of a pipe which passes through the reservoir C, but a permanent connection between the passage 7 and the brake-cylinder can be made in any other approved manner.

An exhaust-port 8 is formed in the valvecasing and permanently connects the space v 5 with the atmosphere. A small air-inlet port 9 is formed in the lower part of the valvecasing and connects the passage 7 with the lower part of the casing when the valve is raised. A second air-port 10 of much larger area than the port 9 is formed in the upper part of the valve-casing. When the valve is in its normal position, this port 10 connects the passages 7 and E with the space 5.

F is the inlet-pipe for compressed air, secured to the lower part of the valve-casing B, and j' is a check-valve, of any approved construction, which prevents the air from flowing backward in the inlet-pipe F.

G is a portion of the train-pipe which eX- tends the full length of the train and has the inlet-pipe F of each air-brake connected to it. A relief-pipe g connects the upper end of the valve-casing above the valve with the inlet-pipe F at a point between the train-pipe,

and the check-valve. A longitudinal air-passage 11 of large area is formed in the side wall of the valve-casing and receives the air from the inlet-pipe F. A port 12 of small area connects the lower part of the passage llwith the space below the valve and a port 13 of larger area than the port 12 connects the passage 1l -with the space 6. The various ports which lead out of the valve-casing are shown as single ports, but thoseports over which the valve slides preferably consist of several small holes drilled through the liner b.

I is a cap which closes the upper end of the valve-casing, and 1l is a cup which normally rests on a support il', secured to the valvecasing. A strong spring'J is placed in the cup 'i and bears against the cap I.

K lis a light spring which bearsagainst the bottom of the cup la, which rests on the vupper end of the valve-stem and against the under side of the cup t'.

The action of the parts is as follows: When the train-pipe is supplied with compressed IOO air of about eighty pounds pressure, this air also fills the reservoir C and the relief-pipe and the valve is kept down by the springs above' it. For an ordinary stop or service application of the brakes air is let out of the trainpipe until the pressure in it is reduced from five to eight pounds below that in the reservoir. The air in the reservoir now forces up the valve in the casing against the pressure of the light spring K. The valve stops rising when the cup strikes the cup t', and the inlet-port 9 is opened and the port IO is closed. The compressed air in the reservoir now passes into the brake-cylinder by way of the ports c and 9 and passages 7 and E and operates the piston a', so that the brakes are applied. lVhen the valve descends, it permits the air from the brake-cylinder to exhaust into the atmosphere through the passage E, port l0, space 5, and portS. \Vhen an emergency stop has to be made and it is desirable to apply all the brakes of the train suddenly and with considerable force, air is let out of the trainpipe until its pressure is reduced from nfteen to twenty pounds below that in the reservoir. rlhe air in the reservoir now forces up the valve in the casing suddenly, so that it compresses both springs and both the ports 9 and lO become inlet-ports. The air from the reservoir now enters the cylinder through the ports c and 9 and passages 7 and E the same as before described, and it also enters the brake-cylinder through the port 10. The supply of air from the reservoir holds up the valve for a short time because the ports 9 and I2 are of very small area. The supply of compressed air to the brake-cylinder is reinforced by a large and sudden supply of compressed air from the train-pipe directly the piston in the brake-cylinder moves, so that the pressure in the brake-cylinder is less than that in the train-pipe. The compressed air in the train-pipe lifts the check-valve and passes through the passage Il and port 13, which are of large area. This additional supply of compressed air from the train-pipe reduces the pressure in the train-pipe about nineteen pounds more and insures the sudden application of every brake on the train. The inertia of the piston-valve D is greater than that of the cheek-valve f, so that the additional supply of air from the train-pipe passes through the valve D into lthe brakecylinder before the said valve D has time to descend, squeeze out the compressed air under it, and close the port l0. After the brakecylinder has received this sudden and additional supply of compressed air from the train-pipe the pressures in the brake-cylinder and train-pipe become equal and the piston-valve descends and closes the inletports.

What I claim is'- l. In an air-brake valve, the combination, with a valve-casing having at one end a port c constantly connecting it with an air-reservoir, and small ports I2 and 9 connecting it with the supply-pipe and with the brake-cylinder, and having at its middle part large ports 13 and IO also connecting it with the supply-pipe and cylinder; of a piston-valve connecting the said small ports when partially raised and provided with a space 0 operating to connect the said large ports when the valve is fully raised, substantially as set forth.

2. In an air-brake valve, Vthe combination, with a valve-casing having at one end a port c constantly connecting it with an air-reservoir, and small ports 12 and 9 connecting it with the supply-pipe and brake-cylinder, and having at its middle part large ports I3 and l0 also connecting it with the supply-pipe and brake-cylinder, and having also an exhaustport S; of a piston-valve connecting the said small ports when partially raised and provided with two spaces of which one connects the brake-cylinder with the said exhaust-port when the valve is lowered, and the other connects the said large ports when the valve is fully raised, substantially as set forth.

3. In an air-brake, the combination, with a supply-pipe provided with a check-valve; of a valve-casing provided at one end with a small port 12 connecting it with the supplypipe, a small port 9 connecting it with the brake-cylinder, and a port c, and provided at its middle part with a large port l0 also connecting it with the brake-cylinder, and a large port I3 and longitudinal passage ll connecting it with the said supply-pipe; a reservoir connected to the port c; and a pistonvalve connecting the said small ports l2 and 9 when partially raised, and provided with a space which connects the said large ports 13 and l0 when the valve is fully raised, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVINFIELD O. GUNCKEL.

lVituesses:

ALFRED B. AUSTIN, HERMAN L. SCHLAMAN.

IOO 

